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Blogging, Cleaning, Coffee, Cooking, housekeeping, kitchen, kitchen design, OCD
“It doesn’t GET more fun than this!”
Chronologically (in the real world, not the blog world), before I overhauled our closet, I cleaned the kitchen. I mean, I really cleaned the kitchen – disassembling the stove, buying replacement light bulbs for the microwave, and rebuilding the stove kind of cleaning the kitchen. It certainly needed it, but I really did it because of someone else’s blog about their kitchen. Huh? Yes.
Down the mental rabbit hole………
“Hmmm, her kitchen is lovely, REALLY lovely. Reminds me a bit of our kitchen. She wouldn’t know that, of course. We’re blog buddies, not “can you watch the boys while I duck out to the dentist (or liquor store)?” neighbor-type buddies. So, I can TELL her my kitchen looks a lot like hers….but she might not believe me. Or, she might think I’m a stalker who’s about to run out for some tile samples to MAKE our kitchen look like hers. Oh my gawd — I totally HAVE that plate. I knew I liked her. She shops at Target as much as I do! I know! I’ll send her some pictures of our kitchen. That’s weird, isn’t it? Who emails pictures of their kitchen to people? Anthony Weiner? Probably. No. I’ll BLOG about it. She blogged about HER kitchen, and I thought it was perfectly normal. Yes! I’ve been cooking a lot lately and sharing recipes on the blog, so I’ll post some pics of my kitchen. Nooooooo!!! Every picture I’ve taken has either highlighted the cobwebs in the light fixtures, or the nasty film of ick all across the counter tops. What IS that in the toaster? Gawd, the kitchen is filthy. Really a mess. Must CLEAN the kitchen before any suitable pictures can be taken……”
Without further delay….my kitchen (which looks a lot like WifeMotherEventPlanner’s kitchen. At least I think it does. Thank you, WMEP, for motivating me to clean the kitchen!)
The literal and figurative center of the kitchen (and our home!) Plenty of room for food prep AND spectators. Evan and Will love to help out, and Bailey is always poised to “rescue” dropped ingredients.
Walking the fine line between “french country” and “too many roosters”? (successfully, I hope!). Note the aloe plant – handy for minor burns….NOT for the bloody smack down my “new” knives continue to deliver…
Everyone’s favorite corner. Because of the cool convection/toaster oven, of course. Not. I love the toaster oven because it makes it easy to broil, bake, or toast a meal for the boys or snack for myself. Scott “hates” it and demanded the return of the “actual toaster…you know…that TOASTS.” It takes all kinds, right? It’s no joke, though, that we ALL worship the corner TV. The previous owners had one just like this, and I managed to track down the “last white RCA kitchen tube TV in the continental US” before we moved in, in 2006.
I dropped and broke the shade of this lamp about a week after buying it. It’s been held together with super glue and black electrical tape for six years.
An antique bottle with a soap pump top. “citrate of magnesium” — vintage medicine bottle…..the original Ex-Lax…..now we wash our hands with it….nice.
My coffee corner. I stopped buying the Keurig K-cups a long time ago, and use their “my K-Cup” accessory with my own coffee…..a little more labor intensive, but MUCH cheaper. I highly recommend it.
Tour’s over……thanks for joining me!
squirrel circus 
I LOVE it! Sooooooooooooooooo much nicer than my cold tombstone granite/cherry wood cupboards.
Now I need to see your “tombstone” granite…I’m obsessed with granite….and wishing mine was not quite so black. We didn’t build the house, and I LOVED the contrast between the french white cabinets and black granite, but they’re both impossible to keep clean!!!
Haha tell me about it! But seriously, my top is made from the same granite they make tombstones from – it is horrible! I did some pics of it sometime ago with flowers on it – scary stuff. I’ll see if I can ferret them out for you.
Fascinating!
Bloody developers, eh? Oh well when my time comes I’m taking my counter with me. Maybe it can serve as the mortician table? (What’s on the slab in the lab?)
Ohhh….I think it looks pretty!!
Thank you!
Genius, jazzy minds think alike! “French Country meets too many roosters” Love it. Beautiful kitchen! Now what’s in your fridge?? Come on. Nosey minds need to know.
Thanks!
Lordy, lordy……..there isn’t enough time in the world to clean THAT up for prime time viewing!
So…. I think your kitchen looks pretty much spotless to me. My favorite picture is of the rooster lamp. Thank goodness for super glue and electrical tape! 😉
Thank you! With my general klutziness and the speed at which I zip around…..super glue is my friend!
Your kitchen is cute!! I like it a lot. Uhm, also, that coffee cup? Where can I procure one?
Thank you! You know, I bought those cups at a Pottery Barn outlet (they’re actually Williams and Sonoma) about, um, eight years ago. If it makes you feel any better about NOT having one…they stain really easily?…
I think that’s true of all coffee cups? Or I’m just a horrible coffee cup washer
No, it’s not you….those tiny hairline glaze imperfections just soak up the java – it can’t be helped — I actually obsess about which way I hang mine on that rack, so the least ugly bottom is facing out! (that shouldn’t surprise you after reading me for this long – ha ha)
I love the lamp! It’s so cute!
Thanks!
Why the place sparkles! I could do the same thing in my kitchen but I think we’ve come up with a different approach. Don’t know if you remember a prior blog about a certain dog eating the kitchen floor which led to needing to replace that floor. So then I looked at the island & said – huh if we’re re-doing the floor I’d like something with part cabinets/part table & legs so I could sit there (or others while we ALL cook). So that led to a designer who suggested that after 20 yrs. our oak cabinets, although in good condition were out of date & just doing the island would make the cabinets look even more dated – plus if we put down granite counter tops, once they’re down, that’s it for changes. Whew…then I fell in love with these off white, glazed cabinets in her showroom. Then she said that one of the first things she’d do is bash out the soffets above the cabinets & put the cabinets all the way to the ceiling. Basically everything she suggested I fell in love with. Ummm… I think (although it’s not finalized) that we’re going to completely gut the kitchen! And since the kitchen flooring goes down the back hallway to the bathroom/laundry room, well hell, those cabinets are pretty much the same as what’s in the kitchen. I guess what I’m saying is – why clean now?
I think you’ve totally captured the concept of the “fresh start”! For better or worse, I anticipate you’ll have plenty to blog about during the process!!! 😉
Well my husband opened that door when he said “why don’t we just see what it would cost to re-do all the cabinets”. Hey, I only started out with wanting a new floor. One thing I really don’t look forward to is having the place de-constructed. Years ago we had a major tree fall on the house & although it was all outside work (took out our back porch & punched holes in the roof of the main structure), it drove me nuts having the work crews here. Of course we were promised that it would be done in 4 months & it didn’t get finished until 2 YEARS and 4 months.
Remodeling is a slippery slope, for sure! A good friend of mine is entering her second week without a kitchen or laundry room — they’re having floors redone. 😦
How’s she handling that? I’m ok with eating out for a bit & my neighbor has offered her laundry, but I’m thinking of the logistics of the animals for such a long project – locked up in the basement for Moe & maybe back up to Harry’s house for Lola. For most of it they say I’ll still have a stove & kitchen sink. This is why, if we do it I’ve got to get moving though because it seems easier to handle in warm weather & at least use the grill (plus I can run outside when the noise gets to me).
Truth be told, she seems a bit dismal and resigned — but the end is in sight — I think they’ve only got a few days left. I think doing yours while the weather is still mild is a terrific idea — HURRY!!! 😉
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